Name: Golden Brazilian Coxinhas
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts; 3 cups chicken stock; 1 medium yellow onion, half left whole, half finely diced; 4 garlic cloves, 3 minced, 1 grated for the sauce; 1 bay leaf; 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided; 4 oz cream cheese, softened; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs, beaten; 2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs; 8 cups vegetable oil, for frying; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 lime, zested and juiced; to taste kosher salt and black pepper

Golden Brazilian Coxinhas

4.7 from 52 home cooks Free

Teardrop-shaped Sao Paulo snack bar favorites: a savory dough cooked in chicken broth wraps shredded chicken bound with cream cheese, then the whole thing is crumbed and fried until crisp and golden. Each one stands upright on a dab of lime-garlic mayo. Birthday parties in Brazil are not complete without a mountain of them.

Prep

1 hr 15 min

Cook

50 min

Total

2 hr 5 min

Serves

Level

Hard

Cuisine

Brazilian

Method

Step 1: Simmer the chicken in the stock with the onion half and bay leaf for 18 to 20 minutes, until cooked through. Lift out the chicken and strain the broth; you need 2 1/4 cups, topped up with water if short.
Step 2: Shred the chicken finely with two forks. Cook the diced onion and minced garlic in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat for 4 minutes until soft, then stir in the chicken, cream cheese and parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Cool.
Step 3: Bring the measured broth and remaining 2 tbsp butter to a boil in a wide pot. Dump in the flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until a smooth ball forms that pulls away from the pot.
Step 4: Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled counter and knead while still warm, about 3 minutes, until smooth and no longer lumpy. Keep it covered with a bowl so it stays pliable.
Step 5: Roll a 1 1/2-inch ball of dough, flatten it into a cup in your palm and fill with a tablespoon of chicken. Close the dough over the top and pinch it into a pointed teardrop with a flat base. Make about 24.
Step 6: Dip each coxinha in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs until fully coated. Heat the oil in a deep pot to 350F and fry in batches of 5 or 6 for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until evenly deep golden. Drain on a rack.
Step 7: Stir the mayonnaise with the lime zest, lime juice and grated garlic. Spoon small dollops onto a tray and stand a warm coxinha on each.

Kitchen note

Kneading the flour-and-broth dough while warm finishes hydrating the starch and smooths out small lumps, giving a dough that folds without cracking and seals cleanly around the filling.